Pete Way bassist and
founder of UFO & Waysted.
Keith Mangold, a member
of Pete Way Facebook Group
pointed out an optical
illusion in this photo. Can
you spot it?
Hint: Eyes

COMPREHENSION

“When you expect
strangely enough
—John D. R

N

t things to happen
- they do happen.â&#x20AC;?
Rockefeller

The Sunset Strip Poster designed and executed with Bic pen, by Nic Van Hees, created for the
CrĂźefest Hollywood Thursday, July 28th, 2016. Hawk logo is in the center. This is the second poster
Nic created that includes Hawk. The first one was in 2015. Nic is shown on the right at the Whisky
in Hollywood where it now hangs. Thanks Nic!!! :)

PARTIAL VIEW HAWK ALBUM COVER BY LONDA R. MARKS

Rock Legend News Publications

The Hawk Album
is Sold at:

Rock Legend News Publications are
free. Download, print, save, share.
Written By Londa R. Marks — July 2016
In the mid 1980’s Ahmet Ertegun,
co-founder and president of Atlantic Records
was considering signing popular Hollywood,
California glam rock band HAWK to Atlantic
Records.
Just at that time turmoil within the band
began and ultimately everything disintegrated
due to money issues and personal differences.
Being signed to Atlantic Records may have
been a good thing, but maybe not; 25 years later,
a HAWK album is at least still being sold by
one of the original HAWK artists, Doug Marks,
for $7.50–$18.00 each. If Atlantic Records had
signed the band, possibly a lot of money/fame/
artistic validation would have happened with
HAWK but also possibly no money would have
been made for the artists. In some cases however, selling your own albums can give you con-

Purpose
Because, Not Of Money; Because Of Self
Belief
By Londa R. Marks

In this section I was going to kind
of complain about corporate structure
thinking - how I dislike monopolies, how
businesses can take advantage of artists
and so on. And, I will likely still make
some points along those lines even
though we all make our own choices and
should take responsibility for doing so.
We do have the option to educate ourselves very easily these days... but while
researching something interesting happened.
I decided to look for videos on reincarnation, Tibetan Monks and such
just to relax a bit and think about purpose but a video entitled, The Men Who

Built America Part 1 by the History
Channel came up. It has been awhile,
probably twenty years or so, since I’ve
read on a regular basis about JP Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius
Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Tesla,
Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and that
powerhouse network of ‘over achievers,’
so I decided to watch it and try to align
with a bit of their positivity again after I watched a video about reincarnation with the Tibetan Monks, which was
quite interesting.
It’s Not About Building
America Necessarily, It’s About
Purpose, Winning & The People
Who Change Our Lives
There are 4 parts to the The Men
Who Built America in the History Channel documentary and after Part 2 it
was sleep time. Awakening to continue
watching the series didn’t come soon
enough. It is such a well developed doc-

ain

umentary with good actors, narration
and well organized story lines. These
leaders have always appealed to me, because not of money, but because of their
confidence and belief in self.
“They don’t think in terms of money,
they think in terms of winning. Naturally if you win in business money follows.
But that shouldn’t be your objective,
your objective should be to win. Win,
win, win. Not sometimes. All the time.”
--Sumner Redstone, Majority Owner, Viacome & CBS.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 –
January 4, 1877) was a famous industrialist who worked in railroads and
shipping. He had accumulated the largest fortune in the U.S. at the time of his
death, in 1877. He bought his first boat
for $125 and began a passenger ferry
business in New York harbor with that

As Pete Way
says, “It’s
self belief,
as simple as
that. No self
belief, no
nothing.”

one boat ending up starting his own
steamship company, eventually controlling Hudson River traffic.
His father instilled in him a blunt,
straightforward demeanor, and his
mother, frugality and hard work. At age
11, Cornelius quit school to work with
his father ferrying cargo and passengers between Staten Island and Manhattan.
During the Civil War, Vanderbilt
donated his fleet’s largest ship, aptly named the Vanderbilt, to the Union
Navy. By 1864, he had retired from
shipping, having amassed nearly $30
million in wealth. At age 70, Vanderbilt turned his attention more closely
to railroads, acquiring the New York &
Harlem and Hudson Line (which ran
along the Erie Canal), and then going
after the New York Central Railroad.
Today, it is estimated that Cornelius
Vanderbilt would have been worth more

than $200 billion, if calculating his
wealth with the nation’s gross domestic
product in 1877. This would make him
the second wealthiest person in American history after Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller.
When he died in 1877, Vanderbilt
had amassed the largest fortune accumulated in the U.S. at that time. Vanderbilt is deemed one of America’s leading
businessmen, and is credited for helping
to shape the present-day United States.
“Do you play cards Mr. Rockefeller?”
John D. Rockefeller says, “No.” Cornelius Vanderbilt said, “Shame, you could
learn a lot about competition.” Rockefeller said, “I know all I need to know.”
Vanderbilt said, “So, I’m looking to do a
deal with an oil refinery and that could
be you.” Rockefeller said, “I’m willing
to do an exclusive deal; $1.65 a barrel.”
Vanderbilt said, “That’s a discount of
more than a third. There’s several refineries in Cleveland, why should I give
you such a deal?” Rockefeller said, “Because I’ll fill all your trains with my oil and if you don’t do the deal I’ll fill someone else’s trains.”

John D. Rockefeller

John D. Rockefellar (July 8, 1839 –
May 23, 1937) grew up poor, sold candy
to neighbor kids and did other odd jobs
to help support his mother and family after his father left the home to be a
traveling salesman.
Founder of Standard Oil Company, John D. Rockefeller became one of
the world’s richest men. Born in Richford, New York, John Davison Rockefeller moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, at the age of 14. Unafraid of
hard work, he embarked on a number
of small-business ventures as a teenager, landing his first real office job at
age 16 as an assistant bookkeeper with
Hewitt & Tuttle, commission merchants
and produce shippers. A careful and
studious businessman who refrained
from taking unnecessary risks, Rockefeller sensed an opportunity in the
oil business in the early 1860s. With
oil production ramping up in western
Pennsylvania, Rockefeller decided that
establishing an oil refinery near Cleveland, a short distance from Pittsburgh,
would be a good business move.
J.P. Morgan

John Pierpont Morgan (April 17,

1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier, banker, philanthropist
and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time.
“His instincts about people would always make him a winner. John Pierpont
Morgan was able to look at people and
immediately make a judgment of their
character and their integrity; one of his
greatest strengths.” —Henry P. Davison
II, Great Grandson of Morgan Partner
In 1912 public opinion turned firmly against big business. A senate committee was setup to investigate what
they termed “Money Trusts” on Wall
Street. JP Morgan (April 17, 1837 –
March 31, 1913) was ordered to appear
in December. Samuel Untermyer an affluent New York City trial lawyer asked
the questions for the committee.
Morgan was drilled for hours. But,
in one line of questioning he was able
to redeem his actions in the eyes of a
wary public. Samuel Untermyer asked
Morgan, “Is not commercial credit
based primarily on money or property?
Morgan answered, “No sir.” The first
thing is character.” “Before money or
property?” Untermyer countered. “Before money or anything else,” Morgan
replied. Money cannot buy it because a
man I do not trust would not get money
from me on all the bonds in Christendom. I think that is the fundamental basis of business.” Morgan had stated the
banking philosophy on which he built
his empire. —Bio, JP Morgan History
Documentary
After his death, Theodore Roosevelt
summed up JP Morgan’s life: “Mr. Morgan was politically opposed to me. Yet
whenever I was brought into contact
with him I was struck not only by his
very great power but by his sincerity
and truthfulness.”
“They don’t think in terms of money,
they think in terms of winning. Naturally if you win in business money follows.
But that shouldn’t be your objective,
your objective should be to win. Win,
win, win. Not sometimes. All the time.”
--Sumner Redstone, Majority Owner, Viacome & CBS
JP Morgan Quotes
“Well, I don’t know as I want a lawyer to
tell me what I cannot do. I hire him to
tell how to do what I want to do.”

“Go as far as you can see; when you get
there, you’ll be able to see farther.”
John Pierpont “J. P.” Morgan

And then I thought about how passion
ate these men were. In fact, they may
even be more passionate than a visual aritst or musician. And, they don’t
need an audience as much as they seem
to need to prove to a few other competitors - and themselves - that they
can win; win at everything they do. It’s
a game. Life is a game. They play the
game of business. Artists and musicians
play the art game - but that is a business too.
Books on these American leaders
got me through a really tough situation
when I arrived in Los Angeles in 1982.
One of the most important messages
I got from this series and those books
is that we all have a purpose. And, although I was looking for principals of
purpose in Tibetan monks, serendipity
intervened and reminded me of present
reality.
Purpose is not always easy to understand or accept. Tibetan Buddhist
Monks say, “We choose our parents and
what we become before we are born.
Look at where you are today. You got
there by your choices.”
The Men Who Built America may
be known for having built America, but
what they did was build a way of life - in
unison - because of competitive spirit, much like how the Renaissance was
born, much like how the 70s rock ‘n roll
was born. A group of highly charged
spirits subconsciously knew, operated consciously, influencing each other
through that energy to build something
historic; all the while enacting their
purpose, their historic purpose. If only
one of them had existed I wonder if any
of it would have happened.
It seems to me that in order to fulfill purpose one has to surround themself with those who will make them be
their best. Like-minds. Completion of
self. And anyone who says, “I complete
myself,” consider the fact that you don’t
complete yourself if you buy food, buy
clothes, live in a building, borrow money, buy automobiles, build a business,
work a job, have relationships of any

kind and so on. There is always a need
to surround ourself with others that
help put a fire under us in some fashion.
These men didn’t develop companies because they owed people jobs.
Jobs happened because these men did
the daily hard work and no giving up to
create a dream, a company. Jobs just
happened to be an opportunity resulting from the risks they were willing to
take.
I like that Thomas Edison quoted
Michelangelo’s quote “Genius is eternal
patience” to JP Morgan who then said,
“Michelangelo.” I have used that requote at the end of each Rock Legend
News publication since the beginning.
When I heard them say that, I knew
I was supposed to include this article
about The Men Who Built America in
this issue. They helped empower me
and hopefully they will empower at
least one person. That doesn’t mean
I am like them, it just means I understand what it takes to achieve dreams;
Hard work. Daily. No giving up. You
take that train and ride it until you see
that dream as part of your reality.
Be careful of what you think someone else is thinking. Sometimes we have
a tendency to think that others think
like we do. That is not always the case.
“The idea is to see what’s missing.
That’s what a creative entrepreneur
does, he serves people with things they
need.” —Russell Simmons, Co-Founder
Def Jam
Watch: The Men Who Built America
Part 1 OF 4 by the History Channel
[Sources: Biography.com and History Channel
Series, The Men Who Built America,
Wikipedia]

“Don’t be afraid to
to go for the great.” —

o give up the good
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;John D. Rockefeller

Creative People’s
Brains Really Do
Work Differently
“The creative genius is “occasionally crazier and yet adamantly saner
than the average person.”
The common traits that people
across all creative fields seemed to
have in common are an openness
to one’s inner life; a preference for
complexity and ambiguity; an unusually high tolerance for disorder
and disarray; the ability to extract
order from chaos; independence;
unconventionality; and a willingness to take risks.
Read Article: http://
qz.com/584850/creative-peoples-brains-really-do-work-differently/

HAWK, the glam band I sponsored
and developed with Doug Marks included Charles Morrill, Lonnie Vencent (Bullet Boys), Scott Travis (Judas
Priest) happened at the same time Motley Crue, Poison and Rik Fox was a part
of the Hollywood scene I was immersed
in during the 80s and early 90s.

Rik Fox was with SIN and STEELLER (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ron Keel...)
and earlier Rik was one of the original
members of W.A.S.P., including coming
up with the band name - even though he
has gotten a lot of flack about it and other projects he was involved with.
Living in Hollywood in the rock
scene also means living at the Rainbow
Bar and Grill. Hawk did. Hanging out at
the Rainbow is hanging out with artists

like; Ozzy, Blackie, Lemmy… Blackie
would arrive around midnight and you
always know when someone cool comes
through the door because the Rainbow
plays their music. Blackie liked for me
to hang out with him at ‘his table’ and
he had me come to a recording session
at Pasha studio in Hollywood to watch
him lay down some vocal tracks to
‘Wild Child.’ That was cool and I still
have that tape/demo he gave me - no,
don’t ask it is not for sale for any price.
Blackie told me to listen to the
demo while he went to England. He
called me from England and asked me
what I thought of it. You know, what
wasn’t to like about it? I asked him how
he came up with the screeching sounds
and he said it was a sound peacocks
make.
Blackie is a very talented and cool
guy but he can be a hard edge too. That
is part of his nature, his way of mak-

ing things happen. He’s a professional.
Scott Travis (Judas Priest drummer)
is like that too. Both are similar in that
they are highly disciplined which can
cause people to think they are mean
spirited sometimes but they are just disciplined with their work.
Rik Fox may appear that way too
(to some people) but he works hard and
has a heart of gold. Of course with success comes the critics and Rik has spent
a lot of time verifying his positions in
Hollywood even though it is pretty obvious that Rik is and has been everything
that he (Rik) has stated even though
some want to take that away from him
or misunderstand things, make mistakes in what they hear, twist things
around intentionally or unintentionally.
Rock ’n roll can also bring with it
hatred and violence. And, the irony
is that rockers are the most loving individuals on the planet. It’s all about
Love, Peace, Sex, Music, Remaining a
child of Art, Rockin’ Forever.
Blackie is a pro and I doubt he
wanted to get into this but in Wikipedia “Blackie Lawless has begrudgingly confirmed that Rik Fox had indeed,
been a band member but, ‘only for a
couple of rehearsals,’ which may not be
entirely accurate since Rik Fox spent
some 4 months rehearsing and writing
with the band.
Rik Fox is also shown in early
W.A.S.P. band photographs taken by
Don Adkins Jr. during the band’s first
photo session.
Causing a firestorm of controversy thirty years later after the fact, despite the grumblings by some die-hard
W.A.S.P. fans desperately attempting
to re-write a revisionist history of the
band, it should be submitted for consideration that, since Rik Fox created
the bands’ name while he was, in fact,
an early band member, at that moment
of the creation of it becoming the band
now-known as W.A.S.P., technically
speaking, no matter what happened to
the band after Rik Fox left, that histor-

ic point still qualifies him as an original
founding member along with Lawless,
Piper and Richards.”
Some good elements can come from
negativity though such as enlivening
competitive spirit, bringing out the best
in artists like with Rik Fox who just
keeps getting better and works daily to
make that happen.
Rik Fox has die hard fans, a supportive wife Tamara Fox and close
friend Phil Pedroza, administrator
of Rik Fox Facebook Group who also
works in Security Crowd Management
(CSC) in Los Angeles. Both are friends
of mine whom I respect a great deal.
They both have integrity and stand up
for what they believe in. Both exhibit
exceptional work and personal ethics
on a daily basis but if Rik Fox is one
thing, or is ‘at fault at anything’ it is being direct and honest. I’m proud to feature Rik Fox in this issue. Thanks Rik!

Destiny is no
matter of chance.
It is a matter of choice.
It is not a thing to be
waited for, it is a thing
to be achieved.
William
Jennings
Bryan

K
I
R

X
O
F

YNGWIE M

X

MALMSTEEN

RIK
FOX
BASSIST
SIN - STEELER - W.A.S.P.

EARLY YEARS...

RIK

FOX

ROCK LEGEND NEWS
ROCK LEGEND NEWS, FIRENZE, ITALY

ISSUE IV VOL. IV - JANUARY 2017

BASS LEGEND SERIES FEATURING

Rik
Fox

INTERVIEW WITH HOLLYWOODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OWN
RICK FOX - A FOUNDER OF W.A.S.P., FORMER
BASSIST OF SIN & STEELER WITH RON KEEL
& YNGWIE MALMSTEEN

HOLLYWOOD’S OWN BASS LEGEND

RIK FOX

INTERVIEW WITH ROCK LEGEND NEWS
Bassist Rik Fox ‘The Winged Knight of
Heavy Metal’, from Hollywood, California’s 80’s glam bands: SIN, STEELER
and W.A.S.P. originally acquired by
Rock Legend News for publication in
Tempi-Dispari, Rome, Italy and Rock
Legend News, Firenze, Italy in 2014.
Rik Fox, originally from N.Y., began
photographing glam bands of the 70s
like KISS, The Brats, and The Harlots of
42nd Street, and befriending The New
York Dolls and drummer Peter Criss of
KISS before becoming a resident fixture
on the NYC legendary Max’s Kansas
City and CBGB’s rock scene himself with
The Martian Rock Band as well as performing six nights a week with VIRGIN,
and an early version of SIN along with
The E. Walker Band on the NJ / NY club
scene, before going on to Hollywood to
establish his own successful glam presence. Rik Fox is also known for being
one of the hotly debated founding members of WASP. Rik took time out of his
busy schedule to do an interview with
Rock Legend News and here is what Rik
had to say:
RLN: You started on the path to glam
rock of the 80’s by photographing bands
like New York Dolls and KISS in New
York. What attracted you to KISS and
New York Dolls glam style?
Rik Fox: Well, allow me to clarify, I
didn’t photograph The New York Dolls so
much as I did The Brats, KISS and The
Harlots of 42nd Street, mostly at a club
in Queens, NY not far from my home,
called Coventry. It was a flourishing club
across from Manhattan that showcased
many of the Manhattan rock scene’s
glam bands. I also hung out at the famous 82 Club where many of the same
bands performed.
In any case, while I was in high school

during my formative years between
1970 and 1974, it was a magical and
evolutionary time in the history of rock
music. Many bands were rising up from
out of the ashes of the 1960’s and early 1970’s, and becoming something of
a theatrical rock revolution. There was
something very primal and attractively
exciting about this; it was very different
from what came before.
Bands used to just stand there pretty
much and just ‘play.’ Now, there was the
incorporation of band interaction and
movement onstage, a physical interpretation of the music in an energy coming
from the stage. Bands began to incorporate wearing face make-up eye-liner, eye-shadow, lipstick, platform boots
tight velvet or satin pants, and jackets,
sequins and rhinestones began catching the stage lighting. There was also an
element of androgyny, with bands like
T. Rex, David Bowie, Mott the Hoople,
Slade, The Sweet and Queen. This began
to make its way to American shores and
into the hard rocking punkish presentations of Detroit’s MC5 and Iggy Pop
and the New York rock bands, like The
Harlots of 42nd Street, The New York
Dolls, Teenage Lust, The Brats, Luger,
The Planets, Street Punk, Spike, and, of
course, more notable bands like Alice
Cooper, Silverhead and KISS. It was like
the anger of punk meets the androgyny
of glam.
Since I had already become friends
with KISS’ drummer Peter Criss before
he was in the band, and began to go to
watch KISS’ rehearsals in NYC, even
before guitarist Ace Frehley was a band
member, I was also a member of the
photography club while in high school
around 1972-73, so, I had access to all
the film and developing materials I could
get my hands on for free. My father had
bought me a German-made Hanimex

Practika 35mm camera and I was good
to go. I began sneaking into clubs in
NY like The 82 Club, and Coventry in
Queens and photographing many of the
bands I was attracted to. I shot many of
these bands and began to become influenced by them musically as a fledgling
bassist.
Originally, the first band I was attracted to was Steppenwolf in 1967-68, and
they were not glam, but a leather-wearing hard rock and blues band. So, it’s
difficult to explain exactly what this
new attraction was; it was just something I felt in my heart and soul; some
new form of personal communication
with an audience who loved being entertained by this new form of music, which
was loud, brash, very catchy and simply
played.
One night, I even hung out with some
of the members of The New York Dolls
while I was photographing bands at
Coventry, and I dressed along just like
they did. In fact, Dolls drummer Jerry
Nolan complimented my burgundy satin
pants, and when I told him I was friends
with his childhood friend, Peter Criss,
he lit right up and smiled. Then I chastised him for carelessly dropping his
cigarette ashes on my new pants, and
he apologized.
RLN: After moving to L.A. from N.Y.,
you played bass guitar in several bands
including SIN, STEELER and WASP.
Which of these groups do you feel most
tied to and why?
Rik Fox: Hmmm, difficult to say; each
had its own special attachment. Passing the audition for and becoming an
original founding member of WASP of
course, had its own magic; it took me
back to the loft in NYC and watching
KISS evolve, so, naturally, I felt like
stepping into a dream come true.
Everything was going well enough, until, unfortunately, four months later,
Blackie Lawless changed his mind, after
I had created the band’ new name from

Sister to WASP, and he suddenly fired
me for no apparent plausible reason;
the demo we recorded reflected my bass
tracks which, to this day, stand up as
solid and melodic.
So, any back-pedaling excuses such
as ‘musically Rik couldn’t cut it’, really make no sense and are all baseless
and clearly BS lies. But the songs were
very fun to play and record and, to this
point, Blackie was very happy with how
things were progressing with this new
band line-up. However, in the band photos taken by Motley Crue photographer
Don Adkins Jr., I looked like I didn’t fit;
I looked like Angel’s Punky Meadows,
while the rest of the band looked like a
bunch of sadistic truck drivers, LOL.
Although briefly rehearsing with both
WARLORD and HELLION, it was STEELER that initially put me on the map so
to speak, and opened the way for me.
That was all the energy I needed to help
me establish that I was no longer just a
face in the crowd, but now a solid member of one of the top bands of the Los
Angeles’ history of Heavy Metal, along
with Motley Crue and RATT. To look at,
STEELER wasn’t so much a glam band
as much as just a straight-ahead, Heavy
Metal band with lots of high-energy. Going toe-to-toe with Yngwie every night
that we performed, began to give me the
integrity and respect that I worked so
hard to earn, and Ron Keel was the consummate showman performer. Where
this guy drew his performance energy
from was a mystery to me, and we had
fun playing off of each other onstage.
We LOOKED like we were having FUN
up there, and the audience picked up on
that and fed it back to us. And despite
coming from playing six nights a week
back in Jersey, Drummer Mark Edwards taught me a lot about what really
made a rhythm section click solid and
we worked on it on a daily basis in rehearsal.
But, despite all the hard work musically,
I began to find myself constantly becoming the brunt of jokes by other jealous

RIK FOX WITH FRIEND VINNIE VINCENT
band members on the scene about my Angel-looking hairstyle, and not appreciated
for my solid, in-the-pocket playing style. While STEELER’s music was not complex
rocket science, you did need to be on top of your game musically which I was, rising
to the occasion with every performance. Somehow, that became overlooked.
As for SIN, that was where I began to evolve and blossom from crawling to hitting
the ground running. I was finally in my element and in complete creative control of
my own band, comprising of 4-fifths of us being from NY; I had the fallout members
from the Mongol Horde band ALIEN join me in a reformed version of SIN, and we
eventually became known as ‘a peoples’ band’. So much so, that in a public music
magazine poll, SIN was voted the top-drawing Metal Rock band of the 1984 Los Angeles music scene over Keel, Stryper and Odin, and that meant a LOT.
SIN had a completely different attitude compared to the rest of the L.A. bands who
tried to emulate us but lacked the NY attitude that the other bands lacked and we
became known for. We co-headlined a show with Stryper and supported Keel and the
fans went nuts for us. All the hard work was paying off. Although everyone in the
band brought something great to the table, I had to refine and fine-tune it thru my
vision and the end result made the fans and the club owners and the promoters very
happy. SIN headlined almost every show and sold-out venues everywhere. So, to answer the question, I’d have to say it is a toss-up between STEELER and SIN that I feel
most tied to. Recording and performing with SURGICAL STEEL was fun, but not as
rewarding overall as SIN.
RLN: What was your approach to the music played during the 80’s?

Rik Fox: Interesting arrangements from the earlier late 1970’s where sometimes the bass followed the guitar lines…As the 80’s progressed, lots of interesting
hook-oriented songs with a simple grooving bass line at the bottom of it all. So it was
apparent that one had to write in a similar vein to catch the audience’s ear. Lyrically, all my songs tell a story and as direct influences I cite Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, and STARZ’s Michael Lee Smith, both true wizard wordsmiths. I LOVED Ronnie
James Dio’s writing style as well. But I believe in the essential ‘formula’ rock pattern, great intro hook, and then get to the point. Have a rocking great chorus and
a simple but to the point melodic solo, nothing overly complicated. For a successful
song to stay on everyone’s minds, in my opinion, the guitarists’ solos should properly underscore what the song is saying and not use each and every song as a personal
showcase for showing off. Bottom line: it’s about the SONG. A good team-player guitarist can underscore the song and still show what they can do without overdoing
it. A great, tight rhythm section keeps the groove flowing. As long as your singer
doesn’t suffer from ‘LSD’ (lead singer disease) which can ruin a band by the singer
believing that they are above the team-player core value, then you’ll have a successful band who writes great songs and collaborating is the way to go. Big egos are what
ruins a bands’ success.
RLN: Rik, can you reveal anything that has been kept hush or tell us any secrets
about the 80’s?
Rik Fox: Oh boy, could I! (laughing)…I plan on talking about that topic in my book
I’m writing. I can speak from personal experience on how fake and plastic a lot of the
L.A. music scene has sometimes been. And, of course, once I talk about it, I seem to
make enemies because the guilty parties hate it when you shed some light on their
dark corner of what they’d rather you keep quiet about and not expose them. Remember that song by The O’Jays? “They smilin’ in your face, all the time they wanna
take your place, the backstabbers...”

While most players seem pretty cool, some walk around with egos that need some
trimming down and they don’t like feeling like they have to compete with you if your
name is more popular than theirs. Some are envious, some jealous, and some are intimidated by you.
People talk behind your back and say the most outrageous things about you, and
then when they meet you, they have a completely different impression as compared
to how you were described to them. Since I left the music scene a few decades ago, I
slipped down in popularity, and others have come up in their own and have seemed
to established themselves in such positions that they will hold on to at all costs, even
if it means openly attacking whatever you’ve achieved in order to keep you from trying to re-enter the scene again.
Currently at the time of this interview, I’ve been experiencing just that. Despite
concrete documentation and proof as having been an original founding member of
WASP, I have been dismissed and discredited just because Blackie Lawless won’t
own up to it and tell the truth about it. Now he’s got minions who believe it like gospel scripture. Since he’s in a much better political position to be believed because his
track record is longer and better than mine, he censors that truth.
So, like Jim Jones, ultimately, there are blind fools out there who swallow Blackie’s
Kool-Ade and believe the lies. Now, if and when I get back to a better level of success,
then, much of the BS will melt away (or make even more controversy) because then,
my side of my personal experiences will seem that much more believable.
Essentially, it comes down to this: No matter what you have achieved successfully, there will always be someone who lives to target you and shoot you down--There
is no profit in lying, so why not just tell the truth? ‘A lie will be halfway around the
world before the truth can get its shoes on’ as the saying goes, so, some blind sheep
would rather believe the lies of their heroes instead of the truth from the underdog,
right? What’s really funny is that, after the truth finally comes out, they either still
disbelieve it based on nothing tangible, or come crawling back begging forgiveness
and claiming that they were your friend all along and then, that’s when you let them
have it back. In their face. In spades.
RLN: Tell us about playing with Ron Keel and STEELER. Did you enjoy playing with
Ron and Yngwie Malmsteen?
Rik Fox: Truly a learning curve experience for sure. As I stated above, Ron is
the consummate professional performer and front man. In looking back, I believe
STEELER was always Ron’s band and Ron’s vision, there’s no doubting that. Like
myself, he was / is a man with a vision. Sometimes if or when that vision strays from
the course you have in mind, for whatever reason(s), then you feel the need to readjust and alter your course to get it back on track.
As he has stated, when Ron saw what the L.A. music scene was like and what his
original line-up was up against, he felt the need to improvise, adapt and overcome.
That’s a given. It just so happened that I had an ad running in a local music magazine and that fate would have it that my ad caught Ron’s eyes, thank God. It was
kismet and fortuitous. KISS drummer, the late Eric Carr and I were hanging out and
had seen STEELER at The Roxy a few months before and were blown away by them.
Ironically, it was Ron Keel who called me and we met and talked. Apparently he
liked our meeting and gave me a demo to learn and said to learn the songs and come

back and we’ll see what happens.
Obviously history bears out that I not only got the gig, I recorded the STEELER debut
album as well. I joined as the new bassist for STEELER in December of 1982, eleven
months after I was let go from WASP, and had auditioned for RATT, and rehearsed
for awhile with both WARLORD and HELLION. That’s quite a hefty comeback, ha, ha,
ha…When STEELER played at The Roxy supporting VANDENBERG, Nikki Sixx came
backstage (with Blackie Lawless in tow) to congratulate me and wish me well and
success. We took an infamous photo of that moment and Blackie pushed his way into
the photo.
As for Yngwie, well, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since we both pounded the boards together. It seems that from day one, there was always a condescending and arrogant attitude there and it was only a matter of time before the
opportunity presented itself for him to jump ship and leave, which he did to join
ALKATRAZZ.
Yngwie and Ron were always butting heads over how Ron’s songs were arranged.
Drummer Mark Edwards and I could only look on in jaw-dropping disbelief, watching these two arguing and Yngwie literally insulting Ron to his face about how the
songs were ‘too simple and couldn’t they be arranged to be more interesting to him
to play’. As soon as the album was completed and we did a few more shows, the straw
seemed about to break the camel’s back and again, I never saw it coming, but after
the last show with the album line-up, I was told that the band was going to ‘restructure itself’ again and that since Yngwie left, that it was time for them to find another
bassist to replace me. I have no idea how this was a sound decision, (and years later Mark Edwards told me he agreed in retrospect, that it wasn’t a very sound decision). But STEELER kept enduring line-up changes until it ultimately became KEEL.
So your guess is as good as mine as to why all these changes took place. Today the
STEELER fans want to see a STEELER reunion and I don’t blame them; I’m all for

one, but, due to an accident, Mark cannot play drums anymore and Yngwie looks at
STEELER as a step backwards in his ‘illustrious’ career, leaving only Ron and myself, so, we can’t bring the fans the album line-up. in
June of 2013, after I performed two STEELER songs reuniting with Ron and KEEL at
The Whisky, Cinderella’s Fred Coury who was there, stepped up and threw his hat in
the ring and made it known to Ron and I that if any STEELER reunion were possible,
that he’d like to step in and drum for us. And although I would dearly miss not being
able to play with Mark Edwards, I’m perfectly OK with that.

As for Yngwie, well, Ron always says ‘never say never’, but I can’t see Yngwie ‘stepping backwards’ to express his gratitude and join STEELER in reuniting with the
band that gave him his first opportunity to introduce him the U.S. I was informed
that Eddie Trunk, (being a self-proclaimed STEELER fan) and That Metal Show had
turned down an opportunity to have the entire band on the show as guests including
producer Mike Varney. Now that is really stupid in my opinion and the fans should
write to the show and demand to know WHY. I’d personally like to see Rob Marcello
step in and clean some clocks…Now that would be a blast for the fans.
RLN: You played Hollywood at the same time Motley Crue was playing. Were you influenced by Motley Crue or were they influenced by you?
Rik Fox: Actually, Motley Crue was playing the clubs way before I did. I was still
‘new’ in L.A. in February of 1982 and just a ‘fly on the wall’ so to speak, reckoning
and seeing how the store was being run. I saw Metallica opening for Crue at The
Whisky and getting booed off the stage.
So, clearly Motley Crue were never influenced by me or anything I brought to the
table, they had already hit the ground running long before I arrived in L.A. and were
already very well established in the scene, and I was like a kid in a toy store staring
in wonder at all I saw around me.
Honestly, I’d have to say that a LOT of the other bands in L.A. were influenced by
Motley Crue in one way or another, including myself. When you see something successful you attempt to emulate it as best as you can without ripping it off directly, so
you adapt it and try to creatively do something to make it your own.
Historically, everyone in rock and entertainment steals or ‘borrows’ from each other, I’ve seen it done and I’ve been stolen from too. The difference is, when I borrow
from someone who’s influenced me, I don’t try and hide it, I openly admit it and pay
tribute to my source. I loved what Nikki was doing with Motley Crue and I applaud
and salute him for what he’s achieved. And, as with Motley Crue’s ‘template’, when I
created the costuming concepts for SIN, and we began seeing it resonating with the
fans that were coming to our shows wearing variations of our stage costuming, as
well as other bands beginning to copy our looks, then, along with our songs, I knew
I was doing something original. I’d hoped that, comparatively speaking, for what
smaller accomplishments I’ve brought to the table as any kind of pioneer of the L.A.
Metal Scene, that someone recognizes what I’ve achieved as well. SIN was an awesome band to see onstage delivering loud catchy and heavy songs and looking awesome; it was a perfect marketing package…I’m certainly not finished by any measure, ha, ha, ha.
RLN: Historically, SIN was one of the first bands on the Hollywood glam scene in the
80’s. In your opinion who really started the Hollywood glam era?
Rik Fox: Well, allow me to correct that; SIN was clearly NOT one of the first glam
bands on the Hollywood scene, there were many others who established that concept
long before I ever arrived in Los Angeles. As far as I know, LONDON was one of the
first ‘glam’ type of bands to establish themselves in Hollywood, copying their theme
directly from the UK bands of the British Invasion such as Mott the Hoople, Slade,
Queen, The Sweet and such.
The New Jersey band VIRGIN, who became SIN in 1976 also were copying the same
British glam bands. But that was long before I ever arrived in L.A. SIN’s image was

not so much ‘glam’ as it was a theatrical approach to a post-nuke image. I had all
kinds of apocalyptic themes on the drawing board and sketches of our costume
ideas, and stage designs that, unfortunately, never were able to get off the ground
after our management and producer (Dana Strum) had their hands involved in the
break-up of the band. However, SIN *was* one of the most popular hard-rock, and
heavy metal bands on the L.A. music scene and we were almost signed—we had a
demo deal and recorded master album demos. I was, in fact, responsible for creating
(or pioneering) some kind of theatrical stage design look which, to be perfectly honest- I was influenced by an MTV video of The Police for their ‘Synchronicity’ video
- in which we see Sting hanging from a wire dressed in some kind of post-apocalyptic blast-shredded clothing—as soon as I took that adapted concept further for the
entire band SIN, other bands then apparently began to imitate and our fans began to
come to our shows imitating our look.
This went so far as to having Van Halen’s David Lee Roth who came to one of our
shows and he was looking me up and down, which I later realized why—2 weeks after he came to our SIN show, the Van Halen video for the song ‘Jump’ hit MTV and
there, was DLR wearing an exact copy of my stage pants! KISS’ costume designers
were also in the audience for our SIN shows; Paul Stanley was seen onstage shortly after, during the Asylum Tour, wearing a conglomeration of the stage look I designed.
What’s really interesting, is at about the same time over on the East coast, in New
York, Twisted Sister were also wearing a nearly identical stage look (created by Dee
Snider’s wife), with all the similar colorful shredded material-over-black, the same
as SIN’s costuming which I designed…Coincidence? Upon sharing a New Years’ concert bill with SURGICAL STEEL in 1986, Lita Ford (and her then-manager) rendered
me a high compliment when she saw my self-designed Surgical Steel costuming, and
asked if it was made by legendary rock costumer Ray Brown. I stated, ‘no, I made
this myself’ and she reacted extremely impressed.
RLN: You were interviewed in the 2011 book entitled: ‘W.A.S.P.; A Sting in the Tale’
by author Darren P. Upton. Can you tell us some anecdotes about WASP and what actually happened with you and WASP?
Rik Fox: At the time of this interview, it should be known that this has become such
a controversial issue among the fans and friends of the band that it has, in fact,
seemingly drawn actual battle lines between them; those who believe the truth of my
side of the story, and those who disbelieve in the face of it.
This is not about money, or personal opinions, but only that proper credit is rendered and recognized. Many of the individuals who are the most vocal about this
issue are mostly those who were not actually there in 1982 when all of this took
place, but are only those who have chosen to reinterpret what they have heard from
second-hand gossip and then attempt to fill in the blanks themselves with their own
versions of what actually happened based on bad hearsay.
There are one or two individuals who were there, but have, over the years, become
hostile witness’ and due to their personal issues of envy and jealousy, have chosen
to lie to the public and alter the actual story to the point where it has grown a life of
its own which is now, at the root of the controversy and some people just don’t know
*what* to believe.
As I mentioned in another reply above: It is said that ‘a lie will be halfway around

the world before the truth can get its shoes on.’
First of all, I must begin and render my extreme gratitude and deep appreciation
to Darren P. Upton for reaching out to me and having the kind and thoughtful consideration to include me in his book among the other early (and later) WASP band
members and to hear my story without any bias…Since his WASP book has been published, it has created an even wider chasm among the WASP universe of fans; We can
read for ourselves that most of the former members have no love lost for Blackie and
most share a distaste for such a greedy control-freak with boundary issues and bullying issues. Darren informed me that there are two camps of WASP fans that either
believe my experience and fully and positively support me as an original founding
member of WASP, and then, there is another camp of individuals who were never
there, which continuously (and contemptuously) attempts to discredit me, and dismiss my personal experience as being a member of the original line-up of WASP…It’s
been quite a ride and I appreciate the fans who continue their unwavering positive
support for and to me, because it has not always a very pleasant one.
Darren has probably been the most responsible person for helping my story get out
to all the fans who, to this day, tell me they had no idea that I was the band member
who actually created the bands’ name. Anecdotes I have plenty of. Whether or not
they are believed by some of the disgruntled critics is another story, ha, ha, ha. But
then, how could my anecdotes be so accurately described unless I was actually there
when the critics weren’t, right? OK, right after I arrived at his house on Feb. 4th
1982, Blackie told me ‘If you’re going to lie, lie BIG; the bigger the lie, the more prone
people are to believing it.’ And he picked a doozy; following his own advice when he
carefully evades the subject of ‘Was Rik Fox ever a band member of WASP?’ Despite
the photographic and recorded documentation, some thirty years later, now comes a
small horde of critics who have drank Blackie’s Kool-Ade and believe his Big lie. This
is why he knew what he was doing when he let me go and demanded that ‘you are
not to own any proof that you were ever in this band, and you are to surrender all
photos you have of you with the band.’
Now, if that wasn’t premeditated, then I don’t know what is.
After we recorded the now-infamous WASP demo, we’re back at his house, and
Blackie looks at me and says ‘I’m glad we got you; the search is definitely over for
a bassist and I’m happy with how the demo came out.’ I said ‘I hope we can make a
good team working together, after all, you’re a Virgo and I’m a Capricorn…and, if
Gene (Simmons) is a Virgo and Paul (Stanley) is a Capricorn, so, if that works for
them, then…’ and Blackie just smiled at me.
Apparently being a good songwriter is not good enough for the guy, he also has to
take other people’s ideas and lie that they were his own; After I went to Blackie and
told him of my idea for the new band name of WASP, (and the ‘Road Warrior’ look),
and we both told the rest of the band, I had no idea that he actually went around telling people that it was *his* idea! WASP / L.A. GUNS drummer Steve Riley confirmed
that for me years later, when he came over my place in Hollywood; he said ‘Blackie
did this all the time to his other band members.’ Why was I let go from the band?
Well, there’s two sides to that; mine and Blackie’s and Blackie is NOT going to come
clean and admit it; it would undermine everything he’s ever said about WASP’s origins. The night of their Troubadour show at the after party, Randy Piper told me the
story why, that today, he back-pedals and now refuses to admit to.
At first, everything was great, a few rough bumps here and there equipment-wise,

but musically, I never saw any problems. We were a tight band and, to my recollection, I locked in tight with Tony Richards’ drumming.
All of that can be heard on the WASP demo along with my more melodic bass lines
than what Blackie played later on. When Randy is asked about this, he back-pedals
and, like Blackie, consistently evades coming out and answering the question directly—that’s a sign of knowing the truth and refusing to say anything out of self-protection or self-incrimination. He knows, musically, there were no problems with me.
The honest story I have been told by Randy which he now recants, is that I was let go
by a band leader who became angry with me because of, on occasion, one or two girls
I brought back to Blackie’s place who had earlier in the evening turned down his advances at a club. I had no idea that this had happened and so, according to Randy,
Blackie must have thought that I was doing it on purpose as if to rub it in his face. It
was only later that I was told by the girls that Blackie had hit on them earlier in the
evening and they said no, but rather came on to me being the ‘new guy’ in town.
Apparently this must have become some kind of personal issue with Blackie and so,
out of the blue he stops talking to me and I knew something was wrong, but never
thought it had anything to do with me. One day he says ‘we need to talk’ and begins
to tell me how ‘it’s just not working out with the band, and that I am being let go…I
am not to own or possess any photos or proof of ever having been with the band.’
I said to myself, ‘screw that’, and took the negatives and went out and had copies made, and when Blackie found out he flipped out and went berserk, yelling and
screaming at me. I handed over most of the photos but not all of them, which, at
present are the only proof of my actually having been one of the original founding
members of the band.
We’ve seen musicians let go from bands for some really ‘out there’ reasons, but for
being jealous of ‘the new guy’ and then trying to use the oldest back-pedal in creation of falsely blaming it on him being an inferior player, in the face of an awesome
demo, is a clear example of what has become one of the most controversial conspiracies in the world of rock music. When asked directly, Blackie (and Randy) carefully
evade answering directly and try to change the subject. That is because they know
that admitting the truth will prove that they have, in fact lied to the fans all these
years. And because my career is not as accomplished as Blackie’s he is in a much
better position to be believed.
However, if my career was just as extensive, it would be a different story and my
side would be equally as plausible to be believed. I’m just very appreciative to all the
WASP fans who have displayed a huge amount of positive support in the face of all
this and they know the truth will prevail.
As for my dismissive critics flaming up the social media internet, instead of living
their own lives and staying out of my business, all they are really doing is blowing a
lot of hot air, pontificating from their own soapboxes to gain their own attention by
discrediting me. WHO CARES who these idiots are?!? Opinions are like assholes, it is
said, and everybody has one. A few of Blackie’s fans have become obsessive Internet
stalkers in Facebook over all this, and insist that ‘in their opinion’ that the original
line-up of WASP were the members who recorded the first album.
Look, it’s all very simple: Blackie was with The New York Dolls for the very last TWO
shows of the last two weeks of their last tour. Are there any photos? No. Any recordings? No. Any proof of this? Not in print so far. Does everyone believe Blackie’s

claims? Yes, without a doubt... Why? Because he’s BLACKIE LAWLESS.
Conversely, I was with WASP for FOUR MONTHS. Did I record with the band? Yes.
Did I create the band’s name? Yes. Did Blackie arrange for a band photo shoot? Yes.
Are there photos? Yes. Did Blackie try to forbid me from possessing any of those
photos? Yes. Premeditated? You bet. He KNEW what he was doing. Do some fans believe all this? No and Yes. And there, is where the line in the sand is drawn. And in
that line in the sand, having been drawn, I have lost a few old friends over this stupid
controversy, but also gained a few new ones. I’m not the one who gets overly agitated
about all this; the idiot morons who are attacking me are the ones who keep stirring
all this old news up, but they blame me for what they, themselves are doing. But yet,
there are critics, who were never there in 1982, and insist on claiming that in the
face of the recorded and photographic documentation of my being an original member of WASP, that it means nothing and proves nothing unless or until they hear it
from Blackie himself. How ridiculous can you be?!?
People can believe whatever they want; it doesn’t change the fact of what I lived thru
in my personal experience as an original founding member of WASP. And so, until a
better day, when truth shall reign, the controversy rolls on. I salute the WASP fans
everywhere who still stand by me.
RLN: Rik why do you think the 80’s are re-igniting? I mean, it is like it’s 1985 in Colombia, South America; it is happening here in Italy and it is apparent all over the
world that the 80’s and even the 70’s styles are becoming enlivened again.
Rik Fox: Well, I recently signed with Premier Records label here in the U.S. and I
have a new band project called “RIK FOX’S ANGRY ANGELS”… so I look forward to
rocking for you all someday and watch for my musical releases; I have plans to release a Rik Fox Anthology of highlights of some of the bands I made my mark with…
but in light of the fact that there is nothing new coming out that resembles the 80’s
bands or 80’s types of music and presentations.
So, from what I can see (and I might be out of the loop here) it’s all harder thrash
type of bands with bald heads and goatees…? Not that there’s anything wrong with
that, but that image is so NOT 80’s…the 90’s Seattle scene took care of that. But, that
being said, everything old is new again. Why do you think there is such a proliferation of 80’s’Tribute’ bands? Because everyone misses all the FUN that those types of
bands brought to the stage and 80’s bands look a little silly with bald heads and goatees, LOL Just kidding.
We’re ALL older now, us veterans of the 80’s music ‘wars’, so all we can do is bring
you what you loved without all the glammy splashy looks, but deliver the same hard
rock with the same intensity. That last 80’s generation of players are reuniting (except STEELER it seems so far) because that is where what is left of the market still
lives. Especially, mostly in Europe now, where it is still very much alive and the fans
are still very supportive of it.
In the U.S. the market is all but dead, or drying up; greedy promoters take all they
can get off the top without lifting a finger to promote in the traditional sense as they
used to (all the older Jewish guys like Bill Graham who were great promoters in the
‘Old Guard’ have retired with nobody competent enough to take their place), bands
don’t draw like they used to, venues don’t want (or have the money) to pay everyone’s asking price, everyone’s asking for enough (or more) to make a profit from,
and many performers are going broke in the process.

in the 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and have cut back on a fair amount of support unless you are a member
of an upper-level range touring act. Lots of players are like hired guns, jumping from
band to band just to keep playing out there. Things are hurting all over here in the
U.S. and somebody needs to get organized enough to re-boot the program back into a
state where everyone is happy and makes some money.

Now, you have to produce your own CD albums (which cuts out the middleman--but
also cuts your traditional tour support), so you have to sell your CD albums at your
shows and hope you sell enough to make some kind of profit to pay for your tour.
Throw in t-shirts which are now being sold at an INSANE pricing and you MIGHT
make enough for a hotel instead of sleeping in your vehicle. Then there’s negotiating
your position on the concert bill, who’s greasing whose palm, etc. You’d really better
LOVE what you do, because there is very little money in it anymore.
Thankfully most of the countries outside of the U.S. still have markets of opportunity
to support all that American 1980’s rock music and I salute all who do; you’re helping to keep the dream and the spirit alive. As the late Ronnie James Dio used to say:
‘Good on ya!’
Thanks for having me and keeping an open mind!
Mille Grazi!
Cheers!

With Burn
1986/87 No Recorded releases/no known band
photos – rehearsals only.
With Surgical Steel
1986-87 Debut album, El Chaton Studios, Phoenix, AZ. Producer: Dan Wexler.
Eight-nine songs (?) Unspecified. Song credits two
(?), recorded entire album.
Recorded with Dokken drummer Mick Brown on
one track. Album Project unfinished/shelved; lack
of budget to complete project. Several live performances including support for Lita Ford. Band photos, no known video available.
With Thunderball
1987-88 Demo, Pro Rock Studios , North Hollywood, CA. Producer: Rik Fox
Three songs. “Gypsy Brandy” (Rik Fox), “Love Trap”
(C. Freeman/J. Aguar), “Cry of Love” (Fox/Mazzola). Other songs: “Back in Action” (Fox/Mazzola),
“Bitchin’ Bewitchin’ “(Fox), “The Fire Still Burnz”
(Fox/Mazzola). Several live performances recorded
on video, band photos.
With Dr. Starr & the Medics
1989 One Live Guest Performance, Phoenix, AZ. No known video.
With Saints Ghosts & Thieves
1990 (w/ Carlo Bartolini from Dramarama) One Live Guest performance, Madam Wong’s West. No known video.
With Johnny Crash
1990 Johnny Crash debut album “Neighborhood Threat”. Song: “Freedom Road” - Background vocals - no known
promotional photos or video documentation available.
With Kings Horses (with Randy Piper of W.A.S.P.)
1991 One live performance, The Waters Club, San Pedro, CA. Live photos, no known video available.
With Flyboyz
1992 Demo, Five songs. Two songs credited: “Fascination” (Rik Fox), “Bad Reputation” (Fox/D. James). Several
live shows - no video.
With Spiders & Snakes
1993 Two live performance, several live band photos, no known video.
2014: Recorded bass tracks for the re-make Rascal’s song ‘I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out my Heart Anymore’ Spiders &
Snakes 2014 album release ‘The Year of the Snake’. Several show performances videotaped and uploaded on to
YouTube.
Live Guest Performances With: Mark St. John (KISS) 4/1/1987
1988 “Rock ‘n Roll”—Joshua’s Parlor, Orange Co. CA.
Sam Kinison,
7/26/1986 “Wild Thing”-The China Club, Hollywood, CA. (Including John Goodman, Steven Van Zant, Randy Castillo, Jean Beauvoir, Randy Hansen). Ronnie James Dio (Dio)
2013 to Present “We’re Stars” - Irvine Meadows, (Sacred Heart Tour show), and the following weekend with
Rough Cutt at the Country Club, Reseda, CA.
Several All-Star Jams in Los Angeles
“Cold Day in Hell” and “Serenade” with Keel at The Whisky a Go-Go, Hollywood, CA., “You Drive me Nervous” ,
“Touch Too Much” at The Dave Brown Cancer Charity Benefit at Paladino’s Club, with Betsy Bitch and her ‘Knockers’
band. Several Kevin Estrada (Photographer) Birthday Jams and a performance at the Rock Against Trafficking Benefit with both Kevin Estrada and Spiders & Snakes.
“The Trooper” at Lucy 51’s Club with August Zadra, Pauly Z and Brian Tichy, Several performances with Los Angeles
bands White Lie and Spiders & Snakes. (all video performances on YouTube)

Mark Edwards, Ron Keel, Yn

ngwie Malmsteen, Rik Fox

Mark Edwards, Ron Keel, Yngwie Malmsteen, Rik Fox.

Listen
to the Album>

Rik Fox WITH FRIEND Nikki Sixx

Rik Fox - Ron Keel - Yngwie Malmsteen

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Winged Knigh

2016 NAMM SHOW G

Former Steeler - Sin - Surgica
Rik Fox at the GHS Booth r

ht of Heavy Metal”

GHS STRINGS ARTIST

al Steel Original WASP Bassist
rockin’ a demo performance.

WATCH INTERVIEW

Madcap Music Reviewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s John Golde

W WITH RIK FOX >

en interviews Rik Fox at NAMM 2014

MAGICK
MUSHROOMS

MAGICK MU
Reso
Perhaps we need more of what we crave,
or, a form of it because we could be craving a type of balance that we need that
includes either that drug or something
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who controls what with money.
There is plenty of info available about
magic mushrooms including from Johns
Hopkins. But, psilocybin helps treat drug
addiction — including cocaine and tobacco
addiction. reset.me
This video, produced by http://www.reset.
me, highlights how psychedelic medicines
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bottled up trauma.

Psilocybin Could Cure Alcoholism - High
Times Magazine

Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholic Anonymous, went to his grave
convinced that psychedelic substances could provide alcoholics
with the “spiritual awakening” needed to continue down the road to
recovery. http://hightimes.com/news/psilocybin-could-cure-alcohol-

Matthew Johnson who conducted a proof-of-concept trial using psilocybin
to help heavy smokers quit at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland
http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/features/psychedelics-entering-a-new-age-of-addiction-therapy/20066899.article

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https://youtu.be/XI5frPV58tY

Terrence Mckenna

Terence Kemp McKenna (November 16, 1946 – April
3, 2000) was born and raised in Paonia, Colorado, with
Irish ancestry on his father’s side of the family. was an
American ethnobotanist, mystic, psychonaut, lecturer,
author, and an advocate for the responsible use of naturally occurring psychedelic plants. He spoke and wrote
about a variety of subjects, including psychedelic drugs,
plant-based entheogens, shamanism, metaphysics,
alchemy, language, philosophy, culture, technology,
environmentalism, and the theoretical origins of human
consciousness. He was called the “Timothy Leary of the
‘90s”, “one of the leading authorities on the ontological
foundations of shamanism”, and the “intellectual voice
of rave culture”. [Wikipedia]

It Still Hurts - in memory of Lemmy Kilmister
â&#x20AC;&#x153;It Still Hurtsâ&#x20AC;?
It still hurts, I still weep
Over promises we keep
It still hurts, I still bleed
Over promises we keep
It still hurts, I still weep
Over promises we keep
It still hurts, I still bleed
And the promise that we keep
Will stay forever
Do you know
What happened to me?
After we threw it all away
Yeah, everyday I drowned in sorrow
And just in case you want know
If I can feel the pain
It still hurts, I still weep
Over promises we keep
It still hurts, I still bleed
Over promises we keep
It still hurts, I still weep
Over promises we keep
It still hurts, I still bleed
And the promise that we keep
Will stay forever
I try to go on
But man it took a long time
I through that your fate
HJE&h=eAQFQ8nCp
Would never change
But somewhere you were
Changing your mind
And every day I feel the pain
Driving me insane

https://issuu.com/rocklegendnews/docs/rock_
legend_news_october_2016_issue/1?e=0
It is one thing to be an awesome presence but

to be a person of substance as well is even better â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
and rare, like Hal Patino. Hal commands respect, but
not in the sense that he verbally asks for it. He just
automatically commands it because of the presence
he has worked hard to obtain; a type of artistic
quality, maybe having to do with his Italian name
or possibly even Italian blood. I don't know, but I do
know that Italians are very much like that. They work
very hard to become the best they can be as a person,
and more importantly, as an individual.
Going through Facebook newsfeed I came
across Hal's photos and realized how one photo was
the perfect magazine cover photo for this issue. So
I contacted Hal seeking his permission to use some
photos for the review and casually mentioned that I
would do an interview if he wanted. Hal, kind of took
me aback by how gentlemanly he is, how kind and

VISIT HAL PATINO FACEBOOK
WATCH THIS GREAT HAL PATINO VIDEO
It was apparent from the few times we
communicated that Hal Patino is by far a man
of substance and not just a magazine cover.
This is fairly obvious by his presence and
actions overall but you never know until you
communicate with someone who they really
are. To be someone of intelligence, humble
and provacative while communicating with
compassion is generally surprising.
Some things can easily be misconstrued
and accepted while twisting it to fit negative
perspectives in the world today. There has been
much said about why Hal Patino is no longer
with King Diamond that I think something
important has been overlooked.
Hal is a human being, he is not owned
by anyone. He contributed 19 years of his life
to King Diamond, a company owned by King
Diamond, when Hal could have had his own
company. Regardless of what happened with
Hal no longer contributing to King Diamond's
company, he did aid King Diamond's ideas and
fortunes by being an important ingredient in the
King Diamond chemistry but Hal also gained
from the experience, of course.
It is obvious that Hal Patino easily
stands on his own though and time for Hal to
develop his own creative ideas and express

them in his own way. There is absolutey
nothing wrong with that no matter how
it is rationalized, including the satanic
accusations which like any religion stems
from artistic creative ideas and creative
execution. Believe it or not.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - ARE YOU READY !!! First show announced for the upcoming North American
Tour 2017, at the world famous Whiskey A Go-Go, January 23rd.

PHOTO

MICHAEL SCHENKER & HENRY HOWARD

henry howard

GuitarWorx.biz

h

enry Howard, relocated from Tampa, FL
where he was Artist Relations, Head of Quality Control
and the Set-Up Dept., for 5 1/2 years at DEAN and
LUNA GUITARS. Over the course of 5 1/2 years
with Dean, Henry worked on set-ups of over 75,000
instruments. Henry says, “I needed a break from
pointy guitars (ha ha).” In 2009 Henry relocated and
founded "GUITAR WORX" in Folsom, CA, then in May,
2013, returned to his home state of NC, servicing
musicians in North and South Carolina.
“Every guitar is different. I take everything into
consideration: string gauge, tuning, playing style, etc.
Everything factors in, and I apply it so it is perfect for
you. I work on electrics, acoustics, basses, banjos
and mandolins. I also electrify acoustic instruments.
To everyone who has already used my services ...
Thank You! It has been a pleasure meeting you and
working on your instruments. I pride myself for